Show The World To Me
by dutchtulips
Summary: R/Hr (the only way to go.) Ron and Hermione share a romantic day at a special place in the woods near the Burrow that he knows of. . .(rated PG, I promise.) And, of course - WAFFY ALERT ;-)


**SD ~ **The Ace Gang belongs to Doña Rowling, I just play because I'm too lazy to write my fourth book. 

**AN ~ **This fic takes place when Ron and Hermione are around 19, I reckon. Inspired by "Crash Into Me" by Dave Matthews Band (_stellar_ R/Hr song). GUESS WHAT?! We FINALLY have a definite on "Order of the Phoenix"!! Bloomsbury put out a press release stating that we can begin elbowing, kicking, and Mace-ing the Waldenbooks' crowd - THIS JUNE!! Like Stuart Scott says, "BOO YEAH!!" 

*** 

**Show The World To Me**

****

****-dutchtulips- 

*** 

_"Touch your lips just so I know,_

_In your eyes, love, it glows so,_

_I'm bare-boned and crazy for you_

_When you come crash into me, baby,_

_And I come into you,_

_In a boy's dream, in a boy's dream. . ."_

__

__--"Crash Into Me", Dave Matthews Band 

*** 

"Ronald Weasley, would you _please_ just tell me where we are going?" 

Ron slipped a gentle arm around Hermione's waist as they carefully tread down the long stretch of yard leading away from the Burrow and into Ottery St. Catchpole. He smiled enigmatically to himself, secretly pleased he had Hermione confused, for once in his nearly nine years of knowing her - those nine years in which they had seen each other through so much; sorrow and anger, but also joy, and most of all, love. The way Hermione had given Ron no choice but to love her - with the way she bantered with him, laughed with him, challenged him. But this time it was Ron's turn to get her suspicions up. 

Really, though, he was dying to just tell her. 

"Oh, you know I can't do that, 'Mione. It's a _surprise_," he teased, tapping her nose playfully. "You don't want to ruin the _surprise_, do you?" 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're such a prat, you know that!" 

Ron smirked. "You're just mad because I won't tell you where we're going." 

Despite herself, Hermione giggled at her boyfriend's remark, and leaned against him as they walked. "Well, can you at least tell me _why_ we are going to this top-secret mysterious place? I thought we were only stopping by your parents' house to have supper." 

"Well, we did that part. Now I've got something else in mind." 

"A surprise, obviously." She rolled her eyes again. 

"Ten points to Gryffindor," Ron replied wittily, tightening his grip around Hermione. 

The both of them fell silent after that, as they trekked the rest of the way in the warm July air, across the field, at last finding themselves on the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole. It was a homely, peaceful little town - the perfect place to live and have a family, Ron often thought to himself, every time he came for a visit at his old home. 

As he led Hermione down the street, she looked all around, still confused. "What on earth could be of any interest to you in a Muggle village, Ron?" 

Of course, this incited another mysterious smile from the redhead, and he teased, "Oh, you'll see." 

Hermione smirked back, though her puzzlement grew deeper as she and Ron walked straight through the small town, strolling for many more blocks before they finally stopped at the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole. "Where in the name of Merlin are we, Ron Weasley?" 

He stuck out his arm, pointing straight ahead of them with his lanky hand. She followed his pointing finger to a cluster of woods another block ahead of them, outlined by the red setting sun. Hermione looked up at Ron, still confused, as she pulled at the hem of her lilac robes. "A grove of trees, love?" 

"Don't jump to any conclusions just yet," Ron said, sliding his arm back around her as he picked up his pace. "Trust me, you'll really fancy this." 

Hermione, bewildered as ever, let Ron lead her up the next block as she pondered to herself what in the world could be going on inside that Weasley head of his. Where Ron was concerned, however, it was indeed sure to be a surprise. 

At last when they crossed the last block Ron gripped onto Hermione's hand and started to run across the grass, towards the woods. She clumsily ran alongside, impatiently brushing away her wild nutmeg locks that kept drooping over her eyes. "Slow down, Ron!" 

"Can't wait any longer!" He called back, grinning wider as he ran faster. 

Finally they reached the edge of the wood and, as Ron looked with frenzy through the thick foliage, Hermione gripped her ribcage, clutching a stitch in her side, and breathed, "_Now_ will you tell me?" 

"Nah, got to _show_ you." Ron reached out and pulled back a low hanging sycamore branch, offering her entrance much like a hotel doorman would. "After you, milady." He bowed deeply, smirking. 

She giggled, and then stepped tentatively into the woods. Ron came up behind her a moment later, slipping his hands around her waist. "Don't be afraid," he assured. "Go ahead - I _really_ want you to see this." 

Hermione, very interested in knowing what she was about to find, trekked eagerly through the underbrush, feeling twigs and weeds crack and swish under her sandals. At last, after pushing through some shrubbery, the young witch's breath caught in her throat as her cinnamon eyes fell upon the sight in front of her. 

It was a small clearing, surrounded by honey locust and pin oak trees. Lilies, honeysuckle, and daisies bloomed all about, and a large willow tree bordered the edge of a vast, placid lake, its crystal blue water gently lapping up against the edge. Hermione blinked several times, completely amazed at the sight, as if trying to convince her eyes that it was just a mirage. 

"My God, Ron, it's. . it's. . .gorgeous!" 

He appeared back at her side, reaching down and intertwining his fingers with hers, holding her hand sweetly. "I knew you'd love it." 

"How on earth did you know this was here? I mean, when did you ever come out this way?" Hermione exclaimed. 

"A few summers ago, Fred and George and I went exploring. . .Mum was busy degnoming the garden, so we wandered off. . ." Ron grinned, "And here it was. We were as dumbstruck as you." He walk a little ahead of her into the clearing, plucking a lily from the grass and kneeling down at the lake's edge. 

Hermione rushed in after him, dropping down next Ron on the ground as he set the lily into the water, and they both watched as a gentle zephyr wafted the flower across the lake's surface. "I came here alone a time or two after that, when I could. It was so nice and peaceful and sit by the water and lay in the sun, or read a book, or whatever you felt like doing." 

"I can see what you mean," she replied, looking around at the scenery, a bit of awe still in her eyes. Hermione shifted a bit on the ground and leaned into Ron as he slid his arm protectively around her. 

He reached over and picked a daisy out of the grass. "It reminds me of you, most of all, though," Ron whispered, tenderly tucking the flower up in Hermione's hair. "I can't help but see all of the beauty." 

She looked up at him, smiling sweetly, and felt Ron's body push closer as he leaned down to kiss her. Their mouths met, mingling, as Hermione snaked an arm around his neck, deepening the kiss. Ron tilted his neck a bit, giving her lower lip a slight nibble as his hand slid up through her brown hair. 

At last the kiss did end, their arms still wrapped around each other, locked in a tight embrace. Hermione's passionate eyes looked up into Ron's, and she beamed, saying, "You always did have perfect timing for that." 

He smirked back. "Do I really?" 

"No, love, actually that was a terrible lie." Hermione loosened her grip on Ron, propped herself up on her knees, and padded over to the water's edge, pretending to be interested in a water strider gliding across the lake's surface, holding back a laugh that was bubbling up in her throat. 

Without warning, Ron reached over and playfully grabbed the back of Hermione's lavender robes, pulling her back to him. She let out a shriek as she tumbled backwards into the grass, and then started to giggle uncontrollably. He grinned, amused, as he sprawled out on the ground next to her, his elbow propping his head up, watching her. 

After her giggles had subsided, Hermione folded her hands across her stomach and turned her head sideways to look over at Ron, who was still staring at her. She smiled, and said softly, "So what are _you _doing?" 

Ron grinned knowingly. "Marveling over my luck." 

Hermione felt her cheeks flush, but rolled her eyes facetiously at his comment. "You're a silly git." 

"And you're beautiful." Slowly Ron stretched out a hand towards her and traced the outline of her jaw, followed it up underneath her chin, and then his touch found her cheek. He stroked her smooth skin, feeling the softness beneath his fingers. He bent down, closer to her, and pulled the both of them gently below the shade of the willow tree alongside the water. As Ron slipped his arm across Hermione's stomach, round her waist, he whispered in her ear, "I love you." 

She pulled back slightly to look at him, his gaze filled with a fervor that was reflected back into hers. "How did I come to mean so much to you, Ron?" She whispered back tenderly, before he captured her mouth into another loving kiss. 

He allowed it to draw on a little, before breaking it off to answer Hermione's question. "Somehow I knew, even before I truly _did_ know, that you would grow to be so important to me. . .since that day when I first ever laid eyes on you." 

". . .Really?" She replied, almost tearfully. 

Ron pulled Hermione even closer to him, the two of them nestling deeper in the lush green grass, and grinned, and mimicked her, "No, actaully. . .I'm such a terrible liar." 

She burst into a fit of giggles against Ron's mouth, laughing through the kiss, and wrapping her arms tightly around him again. 

*** 

The first stars were just now beginning to peak through the purplish-blue sky, long after the sun's smooth sinking below the horizon, to the west. Ron and Hermione were still stretched below the willow tree, his arms still embracing her closely. She had fallen asleep against him, and he smiled and looked down at her as he could feel Hermione's slow, steady intake of breath as she napped. Ron gently kissed the top of her head, and then looked back up through the weeping tree branches, to see the silver of the moon caught there. 

A few moments later, Hermione stirred, and the grip she had around his waist tightened. Ron glanced back down at her to see that she was drowsily blinking her eyes, and staring right back at him, smiling. 

"Awake, I see." He grinned. 

"Uh hu," she mumbled sleepily. "So. . .what did you do while I snoozed away on you?" 

"Watched the sun go down. Did some thinking," Ron replied simply. 

More awake now, Hermione pushed herself up against the ground, and asked, "Oh? What about?" 

"You know. Things." 

She smirked. "I don't think you could be any less articulate, love." 

"Well. . .earlier. . .when you asked me. . .how you came to mean so much to me. . .I guess you got me started thinking, that, well,. . ." Ron stammered. 

"What?" Hermione wanted to know, looking up at him, concern shining in her eyes. 

"How did _I _grow to mean all that I do to _you_?" He returned her stare. "Suddenly I just. . .need to know, more than anything. . . because I've been lying here watching the stars come out, thinking it over. . .and I just can't figure it out. I don't know what it is you ever saw in me." 

She stared back at him for a long moment. "Oh, Ron, don't you remember? There was that time, back in fifth year, when went on about how worried you were that you wouldn't be able to make me as happy as Viktor Krum might have, because he was rich and famous and all that? I don't need those things to make me happy. I need. . .I need a guy who would clobber anyone who tried to call me Mudblood. . .who would stand up on a broken leg to protect his friends. . .who would tease me and make me smile like no one else could . . .and. . ." Hermione smiled, "Someone who would put up with burping slugs and slime to protect me. And that was all _you_." 

Suddenly he grinned, replying facetiously, "Someone who would belch up slugs? Gee, 'Mione, I've very flattered. . ." 

She hit him playfully on the shoulder. "You prat. You know what I mean." Hermione grew serious again. "You did everything for me. You showed me that there was more to life than school and books. You showed the world to me." Pause. "_That's_ what I saw in you, Ronald Weasley." 

Lost for words for a reply, Ron merely leaned over and wrapped Hermione up into another long, passionate kiss, her snaking her arms round his waist once more, and they remained captive in their kiss for a few very long minutes. Ron grinned against Hermione's mouth as he suddenly leaned to the side, and before she knew it, they were both rolling over and over together in the grass, still locked in their embrace and laughing the whole time. 

Finally they tumbled to a stop, both of them flopping side by side in the grass, still giggling profusely. At last Hermione, the first to catch her breath, rolling on her side to look at Ron. He felt her eyes on him and turned towards her as well and said, grinning, "So what are _you_ doing?" 

Hermione smiled back. "Oh, you know, marveling at my amazing luck." 

Ron's cheeks twinged pink for a moment, but then when Hermione suddenly giggled, he looked back up. "What?" 

Reaching out with the cuff of her robes, Hermione couldn't resist saying the following words, "You've. . .you've got dirt on your nose, by the way. Did you know?" She extended her hand to brush off the side of Ron's nose, catching his eye and winking, and before they knew it, the both of them had erupted into a fit of laughter once more, hugging each other close as they plunked back into the grass together once more. 

*** 

**el fin**

*** 

In this other HP fic I read once, the author made up this pun that her fanfic was "so fluffy it had three heads." How clever is that! Well, you let me know if this applies - in that handy little review box below. ;-) 


End file.
